These people had genes in the genome patented???? SImply because they discovered them? And it took this long and had to go to the supreme court to get overturned? Jesus, why not just patent like the entire breast. No one else has done it yet, so it's fair game, right? Ugh. Imagine how far N research would have been set back if our particular HLA gene had been patented. We'd most likely still know next to nothing about how our conditions arise. This is why we can't have nice things. Or rather why we can't have healthy people in an age of unparalleled scientific achievement.

Patent law really needs to be updated to the 21st century. I think stuff like this and the crap Apple pulls on a daily basis prove that the system is broken. Funny thing is, most of the people in favor of keeping the patent/copyright/trademark system in the dark ages are the same people who espouse free-market capitalism. I'd love to hear one of these hypocrites explain to me how being able to patent broad ideas, slight variations on themes, and extant resources is not a barrier to a free-market system, just to see the fuses in their heads blow.

ROTFLMAO!...snort! I thought you had to be Narcoleptic to even get into Congress...they are all asleep at their desks.
I was under the impression that anything naturally occurring could not be patented but that a man made modification to something natural could be. Did I misunderstand?
Sidebar...do ya think that the phrase ROTFLMAO was coined by a PWN with cataplexy?

I don't even think GMOs should even be able to be patented. Because the fact of the matter is, they cross-pollinate and get out in the world. Then Monsanto sues any farmers who end up with Monsanto GMOs due to said cross-pollination. It'd be like if the RIAA uploaded music to your computer against your will and then sued you for piracy.

Does this remind you of resistances to antibiotics? When will humans realize that bacteria, parasites and viruses are WAY smarter and more adaptable than we give them credit for. STOP with genetic modifications before there is NO food left to eat.

And just a side note.. in my research i have found that there are SEVERAL hla genes that are frequent in PWN... ASIDE from the magical 602...why the focus is ONLY on the 602 I dont know.. but there is like 7 primary ones.